Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, operates across the UK: supporting anyone affected by the death of a baby; working in partnership with health professionals to ensure that bereaved parents and families receive the best possible care; and promoting improvements in practice and funding research that could help to reduce the loss of babies’ lives.

We depend on the amazing energies of our supporters to raise the vital funds that we need to deliver the wide range of services that we offer. #TeamSands

Our story:

On the 3rd of May I will be again running the Bristol 10k in memory of our daughter Aurora; and to raise money for SANDS the national stillbirth and neonatal death charity.

SANDS has been and continues to be a lifeline to us after losing our daughter. The charity provides whole family support for people dealing with the loss of a child. They also work with hospitals and other organisations to provide specialist equipment, facilities and education to help thousands of families a year. 

In March 2018 we were given the devastating news that our long awaited first child had passed away in utero.

At 18 weeks I contracted parvovirus b19 commonly known as slapped cheek from a child that I was teaching. We were told that the likelihood of this affecting our unborn child was very low but I would be given weekly scans as a precaution. At the first scan there appeared to be no complications. However a week later the virus had completely taken hold of our daughter. Keith was at work when he had to receive the call to say that something had gone wrong and that the fetal medicine unit at St Michael’s was prepping a blood transfusion to stave off fetal hydrops to save Aurora. 40 minutes after the call Aurora had passed away, 5 minutes before Keith got to the hospital. 

4 days later on the 24th of March 2018, we got to meet our beautiful daughter when she was delivered at exactly 24weeks. We were able to spend 2 days with Aurora in a special bereavement suite in St Michael’s hospital, using a ‘cold cot’,  that was set up and funded by SANDS.

The months that followed were something no parent should ever have to go through and we have come to accept, this will never get easier but over the last 2 years SANDS has become our lifeline. Without it we truly wouldn’t be here. The support, friendship and understanding provided by the amazing volunteers, befrienders and other parents is incredible. SANDS has helped us and our family so much over the last year, from processing the loss of Aurora to helping us through my second  pregnancy and birth of our amazing son Eric, and they will continue to help us and many others for the rest of our lives.

To honour Aurora and to give back to a charity who have carried us forward when we couldn’t take a step I will be running the Bristol 10k with Aurora’s little brother watching from the sidelines and our amazing support system by our side. So please dig deep. Those who know us know just how much this means to us.